Brake light for truck bed enclosure

ABSTRACT

An auxiliary third brake light which is installed on a truck bed enclosure or frame is disclosed. The auxiliary third brake light is not physically secured by adhesive or mechanical fastener to the truck bed, cab or body or any part of the truck. The parts of the auxiliary third brake light mounted to the truck bed cover and contact the truck bed, cab or body is pressed into contact. When the truck bed cover is collapsed or removed, the user can have full use of the truck bed. The parts of the auxiliary third brake light that contact the truck bed, cab or body are pulled off therefrom. When the truck bed cover is deployed to the erected position, the parts of the third brake light that contact the truck bed, cab or body are properly repositioned back into position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 17/023,398, filed on Sep. 17, 2020, which is acontinuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/563,637,filed on Sep. 6, 2019, which is a continuation application of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 16/125,334, filed on Sep. 7, 2018, theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

When using a camper shell, the center high mount stop lamp (also calledthe “third brake light”) of a truck may be blocked and not visible. Inorder to comply with motor vehicle laws, an additional third brake lightmay be installed on the rear of the camper shell and electricallyconnected to the vehicle's existing lighting system. However, problemsarise when doing so.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure contemplates various systems and devices forovercoming drawbacks accompanying the related art. An auxiliary thirdbrake light can be installed without needing to interfere with theexisting wiring of a truck's lighting system. Because the auxiliarythird brake light does not interfere with the existing wiring of thetruck's lighting system, the camper shell can be easily removed from thetruck bed or mounted back to the truck bed when desired. The auxiliarythird brake light may be used with a truck bed accessory such as acamper shell that blocks the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) thirdbrake light of the truck. In this way, a person may comply with motorvehicle laws requiring a visible third brake light while avoiding thehassle of tapping into the electrical wiring of the truck, which may beinconvenient to access. In some contemplated embodiments (e.g. FIGS.1B-1D, 3, and 6A-6C), light from an OEM third brake light is collectedand transmitted by an optical waveguide to a light fixture of theauxiliary third brake light. In this way, the optical waveguide mayserve as both a signal line and a power source for the auxiliary thirdbrake light. In other embodiments (e.g. FIGS. 4 and 7A-7C), light fromthe OEM third brake light is received by an optical sensor and used tosignal the illumination of the auxiliary third brake light, with theauxiliary third brake light having a separate power source. The opticalsensor may be near the auxiliary third brake light, in which case thelight from the OEM third brake light may be transmitted to the opticalsensor by an optical waveguide. Alternatively, the optical sensor may benear the OEM third brake light and an electrical wire may be used totransmit a signal from the optical sensor to the auxiliary third brakelight. In still other embodiments (e.g. FIGS. 5 and 8A-8C), theauxiliary third brake light may illuminate in response to a wirelesssignal. The wireless signal may be transmitted in response to a positionsensor in the cab of the truck sensing a depressed position of a brakepedal. The auxiliary third brake light may be integrated with the bodyof the truck bed accessory (e.g. FIGS. 1B-1D and 3-5) or may beretrofitted to an existing truck bed accessory (e.g. FIGS. 2A-2C, 6A-6C,7A-7C, and 8A-8C).

One aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure is a campershell for a truck. the camper shell includes a shell body that fits overa bed of the truck and blocks an OEM third brake light located on a cabof the truck, the shell body having a front portion adjacent to the cabof the truck and a rear portion adjacent to a tailgate of the truck, anoptical or electric signal line extending from the front portion to therear portion of the shell body, the signal line arranged to transmit asignal in response to illumination of the OEM third brake light, and anauxiliary third brake light disposed at the rear portion of the shellbody and connected to the signal line, the auxiliary third brake lightconfigured to illuminate in response to receiving the signal transmittedby the signal line.

The signal line may be an optical waveguide and the signal transmittedby the signal line may be an optical signal. The auxiliary third brakelight may include an optical sensor arranged to receive the opticalsignal transmitted by the optical waveguide and the auxiliary thirdbrake light may be configured to illuminate in response to the opticalsensor receiving the optical signal. The auxiliary third brake light mayinclude a light fixture arranged to receive light from the OEM thirdbrake light via the optical waveguide. The camper shell may include alens disposed at the front portion of the shell body and arranged tofocus light from the OEM third brake light into the optical waveguide.The camper shell may include a recess formed at the front portion of theshell body with the lens disposed therein, the recess including one ormore reflective surfaces arranged to collect light from the OEM thirdbrake light and direct the collected light toward the lens.

The signal line may be an electrical wire and the camper shell mayinclude an optical sensor connected to the electrical wire and disposedat the front portion of the shell body to receive light from the OEMthird brake light.

The camper shell may include a battery configured to provide power tothe auxiliary third brake light. The camper shell may include aphotovoltaic cell disposed on the shell body and configured to chargethe battery.

The shell body may include a collapsible frame and a flexible fabricdisposed on the frame.

Another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure is a campershell system for a truck. The camper shell system includes a shell bodythat fits over a bed of the truck and blocks an OEM third brake lightlocated on a cab of the truck, the shell body having a front portionadjacent to the cab of the truck and a rear portion adjacent to atailgate of the truck, a position sensor arranged to sense a depressedposition of a brake pedal of the truck, a wireless transmitter connectedto the position sensor and configured to transmit a wireless signal inresponse to the position sensor sensing a depressed position of thebrake pedal, a wireless receiver configured to receive the wirelesssignal transmitted by the wireless transmitter, and an auxiliary thirdbrake light disposed at the rear portion of the shell body and connectedto the wireless receiver, the auxiliary third brake light configured toilluminate in response to the wireless receiver receiving the wirelesssignal transmitted by the wireless transmitter.

The camper shell system may include a brake light battery configured toprovide power to the auxiliary third brake light and the wirelessreceiver. The camper shell system may include a photovoltaic cellconfigured to charge the brake light battery.

The camper shell system may include a position sensor battery configuredto provide power to the position sensor and the wireless transmitter.The camper shell system may include a charger configured to charge theposition sensor battery by plugging into a charging outlet located inthe cab of the truck.

The position sensor may include an optical sensor.

The shell body may include a collapsible frame and a flexible fabricdisposed on the frame.

Another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure is a brakelight system for a camper shell that fits over a bed of a truck andblocks an OEM third brake light located on a cab of the truck, thecamper shell having a front portion adjacent to the cab of the truck anda rear portion adjacent to a tailgate of the truck. The brake lightsystem includes an electrical wire extending five feet or more from afirst end to a second end, an optical sensor connected to the electricalwire at the first end, the optical sensor disposable at the frontportion of the shell body to receive light from the OEM third brakelight, and an auxiliary third brake light connected to the electricalwire at the second end and configured to illuminate in response to asignal on the electrical wire, the auxiliary third brake lightdisposable at the rear portion of the shell body.

The brake light system may include a battery configured to provide powerto the auxiliary third brake light. The brake light system may include aphotovoltaic cell configured to charge the battery.

Another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure is a brakelight system for a camper shell that fits over a bed of a truck andblocks an OEM third brake light located on a cab of the truck, thecamper shell having a front portion adjacent to the cab of the truck anda rear portion adjacent to a tailgate of the truck. The brake lightsystem includes an optical waveguide extending five feet or more from afirst end to a second end, a light collecting cup connected to theoptical waveguide at the first end and disposable at the front portionof the shell body, the light collecting cup sized to fit over the OEMthird brake light and prevent outside light from entering the opticalwaveguide, and an auxiliary third brake light connected to the opticalwaveguide at the second end and configured to illuminate in response toa signal on the optical waveguide, the auxiliary third brake lightdisposable at the rear portion of the shell body.

Another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure is a brakelight system for a camper shell that fits over a bed of a truck andblocks an OEM third brake light located on a cab of the truck, thecamper shell having a front portion adjacent to the cab of the truck anda rear portion adjacent to a tailgate of the truck. The brake lightsystem includes a position sensor disposable so as to sense a depressedposition of a brake pedal of the truck, a wireless transmitter connectedto the position sensor and configured to transmit a wireless signal inresponse to the position sensor sensing a depressed position of thebrake pedal, a wireless receiver configured to receive the wirelesssignal transmitted by the wireless transmitter, and an auxiliary thirdbrake light disposable at the rear portion of the camper shell andconnected to the wireless receiver, the auxiliary third brake lightconfigured to illuminate in response to the wireless receiver receivingthe wireless signal transmitted by the wireless transmitter.

Another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure is a brakelight system for a camper shell that fits over a bed of a truck andblocks an OEM third brake light located on a cab of the truck, thecamper shell having a front portion adjacent to the cab of the truck anda rear portion adjacent to a tailgate of the truck. The brake lightsystem includes an optical sensor disposable at the front portion of thecamper shell to receive light from the OEM third brake light, a wirelesstransmitter connected to the optical sensor and configured to transmit awireless signal in response to the optical sensor sensing light from theOEM third brake light, a wireless receiver configured to receive thewireless signal transmitted by the wireless transmitter, and anauxiliary third brake light disposable at the rear portion of the campershell and connected to the wireless receiver, the auxiliary third brakelight configured to illuminate in response to the wireless receiverreceiving the wireless signal transmitted by the wireless transmitter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the various embodimentsdisclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the followingdescription and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like partsthroughout, and in which:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a truck having an exposed OriginalEquipment Manufacturer (OEM) brake light;

FIG. 1B is a front perspective view of a camper shell according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1C is a rear perspective view of the camper shell;

FIG. 1D is a perspective view of the truck with the camper shellinstalled thereon;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the truck with a collapsible campershell installed thereon together with a brake light system according toanother embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the truck with the collapsible campershell and brake light system of FIG. 2A with the collapsible campershell in a half-collapsed state;

FIG. 2C is a perspective view of the truck with the collapsible campershell and brake light system of FIG. 2A with the collapsible campershell in a fully-collapsed state;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the camper shell of FIG. 1D;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a camper shell according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a camper shell system according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure, including a cross sectional viewof an auxiliary brake light of the camper shell system;

FIG. 6A is a cross sectional view of a brake light system according toanother embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6B is a cross sectional view of a camper shell together with thebrake light system of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 6Ci is a cross sectional view of a collapsible camper shelltogether with the brake light system of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 6Cii illustrates the shell shown in FIG. 6Ci as a light collectingcup is pulled away from the OEM third brake light;

FIG. 6Ciii illustrates the shell shown in FIG. 6Cii as the shell isbeing collapsed;

FIG. 7A is a cross sectional view of a brake light system according toanother embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7B is a cross sectional view of a camper shell together with thebrake light system of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 7Ci is a cross sectional view of a collapsible camper shelltogether with the brake light system of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 7Cii illustrates the shell shown in FIG. 7Ci as a light collectingcup is pulled away from the OEM third brake light;

FIG. 7Ciii illustrates the shell shown in FIG. 7Cii as the shell isbeing collapsed;

FIG. 8A is a schematic view of a brake light system according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure, including a cross sectional viewof an auxiliary brake light of the brake light system;

FIG. 8B is a cross sectional view of a camper shell together with thebrake light system of FIG. 8A; and

FIG. 8Ci is a cross sectional view of a collapsible camper shelltogether with the brake light system of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 8Cii illustrates the shell shown in FIG. 8Ci as a light collectingcup is pulled away from the OEM third brake light; and

FIG. 8Ciii illustrates the shell shown in FIG. 8Cii as the shell isbeing collapsed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure encompasses various embodiments of systems anddevices for providing an auxiliary third brake light for use with acamper shell. As used herein, reference numbers 100, 400, 500 representa custom shell with an auxiliary third brake light 120, 420, 520.Reference numbers 30, 30 c represent a third party shell which is a hardshell 30 or a collapsible shell or topper 30 c. Referring to FIGS.1A-1D, 2A-2C, 3-5, 6A-6C, 7A-7C, and 8A-8C, a camper shell 100, 400,camper shell system 500, and brake light system 600, 700, 800 inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure are shown, alongwith a truck 10 having a cab 12, a bed 14, and an Original EquipmentManufacturer (OEM) brake light 16 located on the cab 12. As shown inFIGS. 1D, 2A-2C, 3-5, 6A-6C, 7A-7C, and 8A-8C, when a shell body 110,410 of the camper shell 100, 400, a shell body 510 of the camper shellsystem 500, or an existing camper shell 30, 30 c (in the case of thebrake light system 600, 700, 800) is fitted over the bed 14 of the truck10, the shell body 110, 410, 510 or camper shell 30, 30 c blocks the OEMthird brake light 16. This may create a hazardous situation for driversbehind the truck 10 as they cannot see the OEM third brake light 16 andmay not be able to tell when the truck 10 is braking. In order to remedythis situation, the camper shell 100, 400, camper shell system 500, andbrake light system 600, 700, 800 have an auxiliary third brake light120, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820 disposed at a rear portion 130, 430, 530 ofthe shell body 110, 410, 510 or at a rear portion 33 of the camper shell30, 30 c (in the case of the brake light system 600, 700, 800) adjacentto a tailgate 18 of the truck 10. The auxiliary third brake light 120,420, 520, 620, 720, 820 may illuminate to inform drivers behind thetruck 10 that the truck 10 is braking, even if the OEM third brake light16 is blocked by the camper shell 100. Unlike conventional third brakelight systems, the auxiliary third brake light 120, 420, 520, 620, 720,820 does not need to be connected to any electrical wiring of the truck10. The auxiliary third brake light when mounted to the camper shell issized and positioned to the truck, truck bed and the OEM third brakelight so that the user need not adjust the auxiliary third brake lightwhen taking the camper shell off or on the truck bed. Thus, the user canhave a significantly easier time taking the camper shell on or off thetruck bed because when re-mounting the camper shell to the truck bed,the portion of the auxiliary third brake light that uses the OEM thirdbrake light has already been pre positioned and goes back into theproper position.

In the example of FIGS. 1A-1D and 3, the auxiliary third brake light 120is connected to an optical waveguide 140 that extends to the rearportion 130 of the shell body 110 from a front portion 150 of the shellbody 110 adjacent to the cab 12. The optical waveguide 140 is arrangedto transmit light from the OEM third brake light 16 to a light fixture122 of the auxiliary third brake light 120 (see FIG. 3). In the exampleof FIGS. 6A-6C, which is a retrofit version of the camper shell 100 withintegrated auxiliary third brake light 120 of FIGS. 1A-1D and 3, theauxiliary third brake light 620 is similarly connected to an opticalwaveguide 640 that extends to the rear portion 33, 33 c of an existingcamper shell 30, 30 c from a front portion 35, 35 c of the shell body30, 30 c adjacent to the cab 12. The optical waveguide 640 is arrangedto transmit light from the OEM third brake light 16 to a light fixture622 of the auxiliary third brake light 620. In the examples of FIG. 4(integrated) and FIGS. 7A-7C (retrofit), the auxiliary third brake light420, 720 is connected to an electrical wire 440, 740 connected to anoptical sensor 442, 742 arranged to sense light from the OEM third brakelight 16. The auxiliary third brake light 420, 720 illuminates inresponse to a signal generated on the electrical wire 440, 740 by theoptical sensor 442, 742. In the examples of FIG. 5 (integrated) andFIGS. 8A-8C (retrofit), a position sensor 570 is arranged to sense adepressed position of a brake pedal 20 of the truck 10, or an opticalsensor 842 is arranged to sense light from the OEM third brake light 16,and the auxiliary third brake light 520, 820 is configured to illuminatebased on a wireless signal transmitted in response to the positionsensor 570 sensing the depressed position of the brake pedal 20 or theoptical sensor 842 sensing the light from the OEM third brake light 16.In these and other contemplated ways as described herein, the auxiliarythird brake light 120, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820 can illuminate inresponse to the illumination of the blocked OEM third brake light 16,with no need to tap into the electrical wiring of the truck's lightingsystem.

As shown in FIG. 3, the optical waveguide 140 may be embedded within theshell body 110 of the camper shell 100. As noted above, the shell body110 may have a front portion 150 and a rear portion 130. The frontportion 150 may be a front quarter, third, or halfway of the shell body110 from an end of the shell body 110 that faces the cab 12, and therear portion 130 may be a rear quarter, third, or halfway of the shellbody 110 from an end of the shell body 110 opposite the cab 12. At therear portion 130 of the shell body 110, the optical waveguide 140 mayterminate in an exit aperture 142 that opens into the light fixture 122,which may be, for example, a red light fixture as typically used forbrake lights. At the front portion 150 of the shell body 110, theoptical waveguide 140 may terminate in an entrance aperture 144 (e.g. ahole or an end surface) near the OEM third brake light 16. To aid in thecollection of light from only the OEM third brake light 16 into theentrance aperture 144 of the optical waveguide 140, a recess 160 (e.g. aflexible or rigid cup or a cutout portion of the shell body 110) may beprovided in the shell body 110 to fit over the OEM third brake light 16and prevent outside light from entering. To this end, the recess 160may, for example, surround the OEM third brake light 16 on all sides ofthe OEM third brake light 16 except the side that is mounted to the cab12. The periphery of the recess 160 may touch the cab 12 or there may bea small gap (e.g. less than 10 mm, preferably less than 5 mm) betweenthe periphery of the recess 160 and the cab 12 in order to enclose theOEM third brake light 16 and minimize the amount of outside light thatenters the recess 160. In order to prevent the periphery of the recess160 from scratching the cab 12 as the truck 10 moves, as well as toallow the periphery of the recess 160 to remain in contact with the cab12, a flexible member such as a rubber gasket may be provided on theperiphery of the recess 160. The rubber gasket also helps witheliminating outside light from entering the recess. With the externallight prevented from entering the recess 160, substantially all or allof the light transmitted by the optical waveguide 140 will be lightoriginating from the OEM third brake light 16. Therefore, the timing ofthe illumination of the auxiliary third brake light 120 will match thetiming of the illumination of the OEM third brake light 16, thusproducing an auxiliary third brake light 120 that responds to thebraking of the truck 10.

Light collection may be further enhanced by the addition of an opticalsystem comprising one or more lenses 162 arranged to focus the lightfrom the OEM third brake light 16 onto the entrance aperture 144 of theoptical waveguide 140. Instead, or in addition, the optical system maycomprise one or more reflective surfaces 164 (e.g. mirrors) arrangedwithin the recess 160 to collect light from the OEM third brake light 16and direct the collected light toward the entrance aperture 144 ortoward the one or more lenses 162. By providing such an optical systemwithin the recess 160, a large percentage (e.g. >70%, morepreferably >80%, more preferably >90%) of the light from the OEM thirdbrake light 16 can be collected and transmitted by the optical waveguide140 to illuminate the auxiliary third brake light 120. Since the OEMthird brake light 16 may be designed to notify vehicles behind the truck10 of braking, the greatest intensity of light may be directly in frontof the OEM third brake light 16. Therefore, the entrance aperture 144 ofthe optical waveguide 140 and the optical system of the recess 160 maybe disposed directly in front of the OEM third brake light 16. The frontof the OEM third brake light 16 is a rear side of the OEM third brakelight which is viewed by the car driver immediately behind the vehicle.

The optical waveguide 140 may be, for example, an optical fiber, abundle of optical fibers, or any hollow tube or pipe (or bundle thereof)whose interior is lined with a reflective material or coating such asthose known in the art of lighting as “light tubes” or “light pipes.” Inthe example of FIGS. 1A-1D and 3, in which the light from the OEM thirdbrake light 16 is itself cast on the light fixture 122 to illuminate theauxiliary third brake light 120, the exit aperture 142 of the opticalwaveguide 140 may include a diffuser to spread the light across thelight fixture 122 and evenly illuminate the auxiliary third brake light120.

The shell body 110 may be a hard body made of a rigid material such asfiberglass, thermoplast, metal (e.g. aluminum), and/or wood, or may be awholly or partly soft body such as a collapsible (e.g. jointed) metalframe with a flexible material such as fabric (e.g. canvas) or vinyldisposed thereon. The shell body 110 may be the body of any kind oftruck bed accessory, preferably one that blocks an OEM third brake light16 (though it is contemplated that the disclosed embodiments may also beused with truck bed accessories that do not block an OEM third brakelight 16). In this regard, the term “camper shell” is intended to referto any truck bed accessory and may include accessories variouslyreferred to in the industry as camper shells, truck caps, bed caps, boxcaps, truck toppers, truck canopies, etc. including convertible campershells such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,365,097, 9,744,836,and 9,956,857.

FIG. 4 shows a camper shell 400 in accordance with embodiments of thepresent disclosure, along with the truck 10 (see FIG. 1) having the cab12 on which the OEM third brake light 16 is located. The camper shell400 may be the same as the camper shell 100 of FIGS. 1A-1C, 2, and 3 andmay include a shell body 410, auxiliary third brake light 420, rearportion 430, and front portion 450 that are the same as the shell body110, auxiliary third brake light 120, rear portion 130, and frontportion 150 except for the following differences. Whereas the auxiliarythird brake light 120 of the camper shell 100 is illuminated directly bythe light of the OEM third brake light 16 (i.e. by the light of the OEMthird brake light 16 shining on the light fixture 122), the auxiliarythird brake light 420 uses the light of the OEM third brake light 16only for signaling when to illuminate the auxiliary third brake light420, with the auxiliary third brake light 420 powered by a separatepower source. As such, the auxiliary third brake light 420 may include,in addition to a light fixture 422 that may be the same as the lightfixture 122, a switch circuit 424, a lamp 426 (e.g. LED or incandescentlight bulb), and a battery 428. As shown in the example of FIG. 4, anelectrical wire 440 embedded within the shell body 410 of the campershell 400 may serve as an electric signal line extending from the frontportion 450 to the rear portion 430 of the shell body 410. When thedriver of the truck 10 activates the brakes, light from the blocked OEMthird brake light 16 may be received by an optical sensor 442 connectedto the electrical wire 440 at the front portion 450 of the shell body410. An electric signal generated by the optical sensor 442 in responseto the received light is transmitted by the electrical wire 440 to theauxiliary third brake light 420 at the rear portion 430 of the shellbody 410, where it is received by the switch circuit 424. Upon receivingthe electric signal from the electrical wire 440, the switch circuit 424controls the lamp 426 to illuminate (thereby illuminating thesurrounding light fixture 422) in response to the electric signal.

As a modification to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the opticalwaveguide 140 of FIG. 1 may be used in place of the electrical wire 440.In this case, the optical sensor 442 may be omitted and an opticalsensor 442 a may be provided as part of the auxiliary third brake light420 located at the rear portion 430 of the shell body 410. When thedriver of the truck 10 activates the brakes, light from the blocked OEMthird brake light 16 may be received by the entrance aperture 144 of theoptical waveguide 140 at the front portion 450 of the shell body 410.The resulting optical signal transmitted by the optical waveguide 140may be received by the optical sensor 442 a of the auxiliary third brakelight 420 located at the rear portion 430 of the shell body 410. Theswitch circuit 424 may control the lamp 426 to illuminate (therebyilluminating the surrounding light fixture 422) in response to anelectric signal generated by the optical sensor 442 a. It iscontemplated that the optical sensor 442 a may be located at anyposition between the OEM third brake light 16 and the auxiliary thirdbrake light 420, including in the middle of the shell body 410, with anoptical waveguide 140 being used between the OEM third brake light 16and the optical sensor 422 a and an electrical wire 440 being usedbetween the optical sensor 422 a and the auxiliary third brake light420.

In either of the above embodiments described in relation to FIG. 4,because the optical sensor 442 (or entrance aperture 144 in the case ofusing the optical waveguide 140) is being used only for signaling andnot to power the illumination of the auxiliary brake light 420, it isonly necessary to collect a small portion of the light from the OEMthird brake light 16. Therefore, elements designed to enhance lightcollection such as the lenses 162 and reflective surfaces 164 can beomitted. By the same token, when the optical waveguide 140 is used onlyfor signaling as in the above-described modification of the camper shell400, it may be possible to select a smaller or less efficient (i.e. moreleaky) optical waveguide 140 for cost savings. Meanwhile, in order toavoid distorting the signal with external light, it is still preferablein the embodiments of FIG. 4 to collect light only from the OEM thirdbrake light 16. Therefore, a recess 460 may be provided in the shellbody 410 to fit over the OEM third brake light 16, which may be the sameas the recess 160 of the shell body 110.

The battery 428 may provide power to the auxiliary third brake light420, for example, to illuminate the lamp 426 and provide power to anyother circuit components of the auxiliary third brake light 420requiring power. The battery 428 may be disposable or rechargeable. Inthe case of a rechargeable battery 428, a photovoltaic cell 429 may beprovided to charge the battery 428 with solar energy. In this way, aslong as the camper shell 400 is exposed to sunlight for part of the time(while the truck 10 is driven and/or while the truck 10 is parked), thebattery 428 may be charged and the auxiliary third brake light 420 mayoperate.

FIG. 5 shows a camper shell system 500 in accordance with embodiments ofthe present disclosure, along with the truck 10 having the cab 12 onwhich the OEM third brake light 16 is located. The camper shell system500 may be the same as the camper shell 400 of FIG. 4 and may include ashell body 510, auxiliary third brake light 520, rear portion 530, andfront portion 550 that are the same as the shell body 410, auxiliarythird brake light 420, rear portion 430, and front portion 450 exceptfor the following differences. Whereas the auxiliary third brake light420 of the camper shell 400 is illuminated in response to theillumination of the OEM third brake light 16, the auxiliary third brakelight 520 is illuminated in response to a position sensor 570 sensing adepressed position of a brake pedal 20 of the truck 10. As such, theauxiliary third brake light 520 may include a wireless receiver 525 inaddition to a light fixture 522, switch circuit 524, lamp 526, brakelight battery 528, and photovoltaic cell 529 that may be the same as thelight fixture 422, switch circuit 424, lamp 426, battery 428, andphotovoltaic cell 429. The wireless receiver 525 may be configured toreceive a wireless signal transmitted by a wireless transmitter 580connected to the position sensor 570. When the driver of the truck 10activates the brakes, the depressed position of the brake pedal 20 maybe sensed by the position sensor 570, which may generate an electricsignal indicating that the brake pedal 20 is depressed. In response tothe position sensor 570 sensing the depressed position of the brakepedal 20 (e.g. in response to an electric signal generated by theposition sensor 570), the wireless transmitter 580 may transmit awireless signal that is received by the wireless receiver 525 of theauxiliary third brake light 520 at the rear portion 530 of the shellbody 510. Upon the receipt of the wireless signal by the wirelessreceiver 525 (e.g. in response to an electric signal indicating suchreceipt), the switch circuit 524 may control the lamp 526 to illuminate(thereby illuminating the surrounding light fixture 522).

The position sensor 570 may include, for example, a beam emitter thatemits a beam of light (e.g. infrared) and a beam receiver that receivesthe beam, similar to a garage door safety sensor. The beam emitter andbeam receiver may be disposed opposite each other with a movable part ofthe brake pedal 20 (such as a pedal arm thereof) therebetween,positioned such that the beam is broken when the brake pedal 20 isdepressed (or is broken until the brake pedal 20 is depressed). Theposition sensor 570 may thus sense that the brake pedal 20 is depressedwhen the beam is not received (or is received). Other arrangements arecontemplated as well, such as where the position sensor 570 includes onepart (e.g. a beam emitter) that is disposed on a movable part of thebrake pedal 20 and one part (e.g. beam receiver) stationary relative tothe brake pedal 20. As the brake pedal 20 is depressed, the two partsbecome misaligned and the beam is broken. It is also contemplated that asingle emitter/receiver part may be paired with a mirror, with the beambeing emitted by the emitter/receiver, reflected by the mirror, andreceived (or not received) by the emitter/receiver depending on theposition of the brake pedal 20. Non-optical position sensors 570 arealso contemplated. For example, a pair of accelerometers may beemployed, one on a movable part of the brake pedal 20 and one stationaryrelative to the brake pedal 20, with a difference in accelerometer dataindicating movement of the brake pedal 20. Other known principles ofposition measurement that may be used include ultrasonic, magnetic,inductive, and linear encoder means.

Because the auxiliary third brake light 520 operates in response to thedepression of the brake pedal 20, it is not necessary for the auxiliarythird brake light 520 to receive a signal from the OEM third brake light16. Therefore, the optical or electric signal line 140, 440 describedabove in relation to FIGS. 1A-1D, 3, and 4, as well as the recess 160,460, may be omitted.

The wireless receiver 525 and wireless transmitter 580 may communicateusing any known radio communication standard and may include antennaelements tuned to appropriate frequencies. If two-way communication isused, the wireless receiver 525 and wireless transmitter 580 may betransceivers.

The wireless receiver 525 may receive power from the brake light battery528 along with the other circuit elements of the auxiliary third brakelight 520. On the other hand, the elements of the camper shell system500 that are disposed in the cab 12 of the truck 10 may receive powerfrom a different source. For example, power for the position sensor 570and/or wireless transmitter 580 may be provided by a position sensorbattery 590. The position sensor battery 590 may be disposable orrechargeable. In the case of a rechargeable position sensor battery 590,a charger 595 (e.g. a USB charging cable) may be provided to charge theposition sensor battery 590 with energy from a battery of the truck 10.For example, the charger 595 may be kept plugged in to a charging outlet(e.g. a USB power outlet) located in the cab 12 of the truck 10.Alternatively, a photovoltaic cell may be provided to charge theposition sensor battery 590 with solar energy, similar to thephotovoltaic cell 529 that may charge the brake light battery 528. It isalso contemplated that the position sensor battery 590 may be bypassedor omitted, with the position sensor 570 and/or wireless transmitter 580being powered by direct connection to the charging outlet (e.g. via aUSB cable such as charger 595).

In the examples of the camper shell 100, camper shell 400, and campershell system 500 described above, a hard or soft shell body 110, 410,510 is provided on which the auxiliary third brake light 120, 420, 520is provided and through which an electric or optical signal line 140,440 is formed. However, the disclosure is not intended to be so limitedand it is further contemplated to provide a brake light system as aretrofit for an existing camper shell 30, 30 c. Examples of such a brakelight system are described with reference to FIGS. 2A-2C, 6A-6C, 7A-7C,and 8A-8C.

FIG. 6A shows a brake light system 600 in accordance with embodiments ofthe present disclosure. The brake light system 600 includes an auxiliarythird brake light 620, a light collecting cup 660, and an opticalwaveguide 640 connecting the auxiliary third brake light 620 with thelight collecting cup 660. FIG. 6B shows the brake light system 600 alongwith the truck 10 having the cab 12 on which the OEM third brake light16 is located and an existing camper shell 30 to be retrofitted with thebrake light system 600. FIG. 6C shows the brake light system 600 alongwith the truck 10 having the cab 12 on which the OEM third brake light16 is located an existing collapsible camper shell 30 c. The campershell 30, 30 c may have a rear portion 33, 33 c adjacent to the tailgate18 of the truck 10 (see FIG. 1A) and a front portion 35, 35 c adjacentto the cab 12. The camper shell 30, 30 c may also have a rear opening34, 34 c at the rear portion 33, 33 c and a front opening 36, 36 c atthe front portion 35, 35 c, which may be, for example, sliding or hingedwindows or doors. When the camper shell 30, 30 c is fitted over the bed14 of the truck 10 (see FIG. 1A), the camper shell 30, 30 c blocks theOEM third brake light 16, creating a hazardous situation for driversbehind the truck 10 as they may not be able to tell when the truck 10 isbraking. In order to remedy this situation, rather than replacing thecamper shell 30, 30 c with a camper shell 100, 400 or camper shellsystem 500 as described above, the existing camper shell 30, 30 c may beretrofitted with the brake light system 600 including the auxiliarythird brake light 620, the light collecting cup 660, and the opticalwaveguide 640 connecting the auxiliary third brake light 620 with thelight collecting cup 660. To use the brake light system 600, a personmay simply attach (e.g., adhesive, mechanical attachment, nut and bolts,screws, liquid welds) the auxiliary third brake light 620 to the rearportion 33, 33 c of the camper shell 30, to the tailgate 18, or anywhereelse where it may be visible to drivers behind the truck 10, attach thelight collecting cup 660 to the front portion 35, 35 c of the campershell 30 where it may collect light from the OEM third brake light 16,and run the optical waveguide 640 therebetween. With the brake lightsystem 600 so disposed, the optical waveguide 640 may transmit lightfrom the OEM third brake light 16 to a light fixture 622 of theauxiliary third brake light 620. In this way, the auxiliary third brakelight 620 can illuminate in response to the illumination of the blockedOEM third brake light 16, with no need to tap into the electrical wiringof the truck's lighting system.

The optical waveguide 640 may be run from the rear portion 35, 35 c tothe front portion 33, 33 c of the camper shell 30, 30 c by any desiredpath, including over, under, through, and to the side of the campershell 30, 30 c. In order to keep the optical waveguide 640 protectedfrom damage caused by weather or the sun, it is contemplated that theoptical waveguide 640 may be run through the camper shell 30, 30 c asshown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, exiting the light collecting cup 660 at thebottom, entering the camper shell 30, 30 c through the front opening 36,36 c (or through a drilled hole sealed with a silicone bead), runningalong the interior ceiling of the camper shell 40 (e.g. held in place byhooks or loops 641 such as Veclro® loops), exiting the camper shell 30,30 c through the rear opening 34, 34 c (or through a drilled hole sealedwith a silicone bead), and entering the auxiliary third brake light 620from below. The optical waveguide 640 may terminate in an exit aperture642 that spills out into the light fixture 622, which may be, forexample, a red light fixture as typically used for brake lights. At thefront portion 35, 35 c of the camper shell 30, 30 c, the opticalwaveguide 640 may terminate in an entrance aperture 644 located withinthe light collecting cup 660. In this regard, the optical waveguide 640may pass through a hole in the wall of the light collecting cup 660 ormay be integrally formed with the light collecting cup 660. To aid inthe collection of light from only the OEM third brake light 16 into theentrance aperture 644 of the optical waveguide 640, the light collectingcup 660 may be sized to fit over the OEM third brake light 16 andprevent outside light from entering. Since the only light transmitted bythe optical waveguide 640 will be the light originating from the OEMthird brake light 16, the illumination of the auxiliary third brakelight 620 will match the illumination of the OEM third brake light 16,thus faithfully producing an auxiliary third brake light 620 thatresponds to the braking of the truck 10. As in the case of the campershell 100 of FIG. 3, light collection by the light collecting cup 660may be further enhanced by the addition of an optical system comprisingone or more lenses 662 arranged to focus the light from the OEM thirdbrake light 16 onto the entrance aperture 644 of the optical waveguide640. Instead, or in addition, the optical system may comprise one ormore reflective surfaces 664 (e.g. mirrors) arranged within the lightcollecting cup 660 to collect light from the OEM third brake light 16and direct the collected light toward the entrance aperture 644 ortoward the one or more lenses 662. By providing such an optical systemwithin the light collecting cup 660, a large percentage (e.g. >70%, morepreferably >80%, more preferably >90%) of the light from the OEM thirdbrake light 16 can be collected and transmitted by the optical waveguide640 to illuminate the auxiliary third brake light 620.

Like the optical waveguide 140 of FIG. 3, the optical waveguide 640 maybe, for example, an optical fiber, a bundle of optical fibers, or anyhollow tube or pipe (or bundle thereof) whose interior is lined with areflective material or coating such as those known in the art oflighting as “light tubes” or “light pipes.” The exit aperture 642 of theoptical waveguide 640 may include a diffuser to spread the light acrossthe light fixture 622 and evenly illuminate the auxiliary third brakelight 620.

The light collecting cup 660 may be a cylindrical, rectangular, or otherarbitrarily shaped hollow piece that is open on at least one side to fitover the OEM third brake light 16 and in which the entrance aperture 644of the optical waveguide 640 may be housed together with any opticalsystem as described above. The entrance aperture 644 and optical systemof the light collecting cup 660 may advantageously be disposed in a waythat maximizes light collection. Since the OEM third brake light 16 maybe designed to notify vehicles behind the truck 10 of braking, thegreatest intensity of light may be directly in front of the OEM thirdbrake light 16. Therefore, the entrance aperture 644 and optical systemof the light collecting cup 660 may be disposed directly in front of theOEM third brake light 16 as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C. It is contemplatedthat the light collecting cup 660 may be made of a rigid plastic (e.g.fiberglass), metal (e.g. aluminum), or any other material and may bemade of the same or a different material as the camper shell 30, 30 c.

Attachment of the light collecting cup 660, auxiliary third brake light620, and hooks or loops 641 may be accomplished by drilling holes in thecamper shell 30, 30 c and securing with bolts or by less destructivemethods such as using adhesives or ties. As an example, the brake lightsystem 600 may be provided as a kit including double-sided adhesivesheets sized for each of the components, where one side adheres to thecamper shell 30, 30 c and the other side adheres to the light collectingcup 660, auxiliary third break light 620, or hooks/loops 641. Using anyof such attachment means, a person may install the brake light system600 by first attaching the light collecting cup 660 to the camper shell30, 30 c at the front portion 35, 35 c, subsequently running theauxiliary third brake light 620 and optical waveguide 640 through theopenings 34, 34 c and 36, 36 c as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C (e.g. leavingthe optical waveguide 640 disposed between a frame of a window/door anda rubber trim or tubing thereof), and finally attaching the auxiliarythird brake light 620 to the camper shell 30, 30 c at the rear portion33, 33 c, to the tailgate 18, or somewhere else where it will be visibleto vehicles behind the truck 10. Alternatively, one may do the sameprocess in reverse by first attaching the auxiliary third brake light620 and thereafter attaching the light collecting cup 660. Or, a personmight attach both the auxiliary third brake light 620 and the lightcollecting cup 660 after the optical waveguide 640 is run through thecamper shell 30, 30 c through both openings 34, 34 c and 36, 36 c. Thehooks/loops 641 may be installed before or after the optical waveguide640 is run through the camper shell 30, 30 c, depending on whether thehooks/loops 641 can be opened and closed after they are attached to thecamper shell 30, 30 c. The installation of the brake light system 600may be done before or after the camper shell 30, 30 c is installed onthe truck 10.

Because the brake light system may be self-contained on the camper shell100, 400, 500, 30 and 30 c in that it 100, 400, 500, 30 and 30 c may besolely secured to the camper shell 100, 400, 500 30, 30 c (i.e., thebrake light and brake light system are not electrically connected to theelectrical system of the truck), certain benefits may be realized. Byway of example and not limitation, after installing the brake lightsystem 600, 700, 800 on the camper shell 30, 30 c, the brake lightsystem 600 may be left on the camper shell 30, 30 c and the camper shell30 may be removed from the truck or the collapsible camper shell 30 cmay be collapsed without having to disconnect any electrical connectionbetween the brake light system 600 and the truck's electrical system.For example, in relation to the collapsible shell 30 c, referring now toFIGS. 6Ci-iii, 7Ci-iii and 8Ci-iii, the light collecting cups 660, 760,860 may initially be pressed against in contact with the OEM third brakelight as shown in FIGS. 6Ci, 7Ci, 8Ci. In the process of collapsing thecollapsible shell 30 c, the light collecting cups 660, 760, 860 areinitially pulled away from the OEM third brake light and the cab of thetruck. Once the light collecting cups 660, 760, 860 clears the cab andthe OEM third brake light, the shell frame collapses down as shown inFIGS. 6Cii, iii, 7Cii, iii, 8Cii, iii. The collapsible shell 30 cillustrated in FIGS. 6Ci-iii, 7Ci-iii, and 8Ci-iii is the collapsibleshell sold under the tradename SOFTOPPER at www.softopper.com. Thevarious aspects discussed herein can be employed in other collapsibleshells sold in the market. No electrical connection between the brakelight system 600, 700, 800 and the truck's electrical system was neededto operate the brake light system 600, 700, 800. As such, to collapsethe shell 30 c, no electrical connection therebetween had to bedisconnected. In relation to the shell 30, when the shell 30 is removedfrom the truck bed, the light collecting cup 660, 760, 860 of the brakelight system 600, 700, 800 is pulled off of the OEM third brake lightwithout any need to disconnect the electrical system.

When the camper shell 100, 400, 500, 30 is removed from the truck 10 orthe collapsible camper shell 30 c collapsed, the OEM third brake lightof the truck 10 is unblocked when the camper shell 100, 400, 500, 30, 30c. The OEM third brake light of the truck is used when the camper shell100, 400, 500, 30 and 30 c is removed or collapsed. When the campershell 100, 400, 500, 30 is mounted on the truck bed or the shell 30 c iserected, the camper shell 100, 400, 500, 30, 30 c blocks the OEM thirdbrake light and the auxiliary third brake light is now functional. Whenthe shell is removed, mounted, collapsed or erected, the auxiliary thirdbrake light remains in position so that when the shell 100, 400, 500, 30is mounted to the truck bed or the shell 30 c is erected, the lightcollecting cup 660, 760, 860 is properly positioned to the OEM thirdbrake light and the auxiliary third brake light is functional.

The auxiliary brake light is preferably not physically attached (e.g.,screwed, permanently adhered) to the truck so that the auxiliary brakelight need not be unscrewed or adhesive removed when the camper shell100, 400, 500, 30, 30 c is removed or collapsed as the case may be.However, it may be the case that an adhesive may be used to mount thelight collecting cup 660, 760, 860 to the OEM third brake light.

FIG. 7A shows a brake light system 700 in accordance with embodiments ofthe present disclosure. FIG. 7B shows the brake light system 700 alongwith the truck 10 having the cab 12 on which the OEM third brake light16 is located and the existing camper shell 30. FIG. 7C shows the brakelight system 700 along with the truck 10 having the cab 12 on which theOEM third brake light 16 is located and the existing collapsible campershell 30 c. In the examples of FIGS. 7B and 7C, the camper shell 30, 30c is retrofitted with the brake light system 700. The brake light system700 may be the same as the brake light system 600 of FIGS. 6A-6C and mayinclude an auxiliary third brake light 720, a light collecting cup 760,and hooks or loops 741 that are the same as the auxiliary third brakelight 620, light collecting cup 660, and hooks/loops 641 except for thefollowing differences. Whereas the auxiliary third brake light 620 ofthe brake lighting system 600 is illuminated directly by the light ofthe OEM third brake light 16 (i.e. by the light of the OEM third brakelight 16 shining on the light fixture 622), the auxiliary third brakelight 720 uses the light of the OEM third brake light 16 only forsignaling when to illuminate the auxiliary third brake light 720, withthe power for illuminating the auxiliary third brake light 720 comingfrom a separate power source. In this regard, the auxiliary third brakelight 720 functions similarly to the auxiliary third brake light 420 ofFIG. 4. As such, the auxiliary third brake light 720 may include, inaddition to a light fixture 722 that may be the same as the lightfixture 622, a switch circuit 724, a lamp 726, a battery 728, and aphotovoltaic cell 729 that are the same as the switch circuit 424, lamp426, battery 428 and photovoltaic cell 429 except for their beingattachable to the existing camper shell 30, 30 c (rather than part ofthe camper shell 400).

As shown in the example of FIGS. 7A-7C, an electrical wire 740 may serveas an electric signal line extending from the front portion 35, 35 c tothe rear portion 33, 33 c of the camper shell 30, 30 c. The electricalwire 740 may be the same as the electrical wire 440 except that it isattachable to the existing camper shell 30, 30 c (rather than part ofthe camper shell 400). When the driver of the truck 10 activates thebrakes, light from the blocked OEM third brake light 16 may be receivedby an optical sensor 742 connected to the electrical wire 740 at thefront portion 35, 35 c of the camper shell 30, 30 c. An electric signalgenerated by the optical sensor 742 in response to the received light istransmitted by the electrical wire 740 to the auxiliary third brakelight 720 at the rear portion 33, 33 c of the camper shell 30, 30 c,where it is received by the switch circuit 724. Upon receiving theelectric signal from the electrical wire 740, the switch circuit 724controls the lamp 726 to illuminate (thereby illuminating thesurrounding light fixture 722) in response to the electric signal.

As a modification to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A-7C, the opticalwaveguide 640 of FIGS. 6A-6C may be used in place of the electrical wire740. In this case, the optical sensor 742 may be omitted and an opticalsensor may be provided as part of the auxiliary third brake light 720located at the rear portion 33, 33 c of the shell body 30, 30 c. Whenthe driver of the truck 10 activates the brakes, light from the blockedOEM third brake light 16 may be received by the entrance aperture 644 ofthe optical waveguide 640 at the front portion 35, 35 c of the campershell 30, 30 c. The resulting optical signal transmitted by the opticalwaveguide 640 may be received by the optical sensor of the auxiliarythird brake light 720 located at the rear portion 33, 33 c of the campershell 30, 30 c. The switch circuit 724 may control the lamp 726 toilluminate (thereby illuminating the surrounding light fixture 722) inresponse to an electric signal generated by the optical sensor.

In either of the above embodiments described in relation to FIGS. 7A-7C,because the optical sensor 742 (or entrance aperture 644 in the case ofusing the optical waveguide 640) is being used only for signaling andnot to power the illumination of the auxiliary brake light 720, it isonly necessary to collect a small portion of the light from the OEMthird brake light 16. Therefore, elements designed to enhance lightcollection such as the lenses 662 and reflective surfaces 664 can beomitted. By the same token, when the optical waveguide 640 is used onlyfor signaling as in the above-described modification of the brake lightsystem 700, it may be possible to select a smaller or less efficient(i.e. more leaky) optical waveguide 640 for cost savings. Meanwhile, inorder to avoid distorting the signal with external light, it is stillpreferable in the embodiments of FIGS. 7A-7C to collect light only fromthe OEM third brake light 16. Therefore, the light collecting cup 760may be provided to fit over the OEM third brake light 16, which may bethe same as the light collecting cup 660 of the brake light system 600.

Installation of the brake light system 700 may be the same asinstallation of the brake light system 600, using the same attachmentmeans for the light collecting cup 760, auxiliary third brake light 720(including photovoltaic cell 729 etc.), and hooks/loops 741 as may beused for the light collecting cup 660, auxiliary third brake light 620,and hooks/loops 641. Minor differences may include that the opticalsensor 742 may be more freely disposed within the light collecting cup760 (e.g. off to the side or on the bottom of the light collecting cup760 as shown in FIGS. 7A-7C), as opposed to the case of the brake lightsystem 600 where it may be advantageous to dispose the entrance aperture644 centrally with respect to the OEM third brake light 16 as describedabove.

FIG. 8A shows a brake light system 800 in accordance with embodiments ofthe present disclosure. FIG. 8B shows the brake light system 800 alongwith the truck 10 having the cab 12 on which the OEM third brake light16 is located and the existing camper shell 30. FIG. 8C shows the brakelight system 800 along with the truck 10 having the cab 12 on which theOEM third brake light 16 is located and the existing collapsible campershell 30 c. In the examples of FIGS. 8B and 8C, the camper shell 30, 30c is retrofitted with the brake light system 800. The brake light system800 may be the same as the brake light system 700 of FIGS. 7A-7C and mayinclude an auxiliary third brake light 820 and light collecting cup 860having an optical sensor 842 that are the same as the auxiliary thirdbrake light 720 and light collecting cup 760 with optical sensor 742except for the following differences. Whereas an electrical wire 740 isused to transmit a signal from the optical sensor 742 to the auxiliarybrake light 720, the brake light system 800 uses wireless transmissionbetween a wireless transmitter 880 connected to the optical sensor 842and a wireless receiver 825 of the auxiliary brake light 820. Thus, theelectrical wire 740 and hooks/loops 741 may be omitted. The wirelessreceiver 825 and wireless transmitter 880 may communicate using anyknown radio communication standard and may include antenna elementstuned to appropriate frequencies. If two-way communication is used, thewireless receiver 825 and wireless transmitter 880 may be transceivers.

The wireless receiver 825 may receive power from the brake light battery828 along with the other circuit elements of the auxiliary third brakelight 820. Similarly, the wireless transmitter 880 may be powered by atransmitter battery 890 that may be disposable or rechargeable and, inthe case of a rechargeable transmitter battery 890, a photovoltaic cell895 may be provided to charge the transmitter battery 890 with solarenergy.

Installation of the brake light system 800 may be the same asinstallation of the brake light system 700, using the same attachmentmeans for the light collecting cup 860 and auxiliary third brake light820 (including wireless receiver 825, photovoltaic cell 829, etc.) asmay be used for the light collecting cup 760 and auxiliary third brakelight 720, but without the need to run an electrical wire 760 throughthe camper shell or 30, 30 c or install hooks/loops 741. Also, as in thecase of the brake light system 700, the optical sensor 842 may be freelydisposed within the light collecting cup 860 and may, for example, bedisposed on the top of the light collecting cup 860 in order to placethe circuitry connecting the optical sensor 842 and the wirelesstransmitter 880 near the photovoltaic cell 895.

As an alternative to the light collecting cup 860 having the opticalsensor 842, the brake light system 800 may instead make use of the sameposition sensor 570 that senses a depressed position of the brake pedal20 of the truck 10 as described in relation to FIG. 5. In this case, theposition sensor 570, wireless transmitter 580, position sensor battery590, and charger 595 may be used in place of the light collecting cup860, optical sensor 842, wireless transmitter 880, transmitter battery890, and photovoltaic cell 895. The auxiliary third brake light 820 maythus be illuminated in response to the position sensor 570 sensing adepressed position of the brake pedal 20.

In the examples of FIGS. 4, 5, 7A-7C, and 8A-8C, it is described thatthe batteries 428, 528, 728, 828, 890 may be charged by photovoltaiccells 429, 529, 729, 829, 895. However, the present disclosure is notlimited to the use of solar power. As an alternative, the batteries 428,528, 728, 828 may be charged via a charger (e.g. a USB charging cable)plugged in to an external charging outlet 19 (see FIG. 1A) located onthe bed 14 or tailgate 18 of the truck 10 (e.g. on the interior of thebed 14 as shown, or on the exterior of the bed 14). The externalcharging outlet 19 may be a USB compatible port. It may also beweatherproof so that rainwater and sunshine does not degrade theexternal charging outlet 19 and yet allows the charger to be pluggedinto the external charging outlet 19. Similarly, the battery 890 may becharged via a charger (e.g. a USB charging cable) plugged in to theexternal charging outlet 19 (see FIG. 1A) located on the cab 12 of thetruck 10 (e.g. near the OEM third brake light 16 as shown). In this way,the batteries 428, 528, 728, 828, 890 may be charged with energy from abattery of the truck 10. It is also contemplated that any of thebatteries 428, 528, 728, 828, 890 may be bypassed or omitted. By way ofexample and not limitation, the elements (e.g., auxiliary brake light)to be powered by the batteries may be powered by direct connection tothe external charging outlet 19 (e.g. via a USB cable).

In the examples of FIGS. 2A-2C, 6A-6C, 7A-7C, and 8A-8C, an existingcamper shell 30, 30 c is retrofitted with a brake light system 600, 700,800 in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. Like the shell bodies110, 410, 510 described above in relation to FIGS. 1A-1D and 3-5, thecamper shell 30, 30 c may be a hard body made of a rigid material suchas fiberglass, thermoplast, metal (e.g. aluminum), and/or wood, or maybe a wholly or partly soft body such as a collapsible (e.g. jointed)metal frame with a flexible material such as fabric (e.g. canvas) orvinyl disposed thereon and may refer to any kind of truck bedaccessories that blocks an OEM third brake light 16. An example of acollapsible camper shell 30 c is illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2C, 6C, 7C, and8C. The collapsible camper shell 30 c may be, for example, a foldingtruck cap sold under the tradename Softopper™ such as those truck capsprovided by Softopper LLC at softopper.com, which may be collapsed asshown in sequence in FIGS. 2A-2C together with the brake light system600, 700, 800. In FIGS. 2A-2C, the auxiliary third brake light 620, 720,820 is shown schematically with the details of the brake light system600, 700, 800 (e.g. optical waveguide 640, electrical wire 740, wirelessreceiver 825, etc.) omitted for simplicity. In FIG. 2B and 2C, theauxiliary third brake light 620, 720, 820 (shown in phantom) may not bevisible as the flexible material such as fabric (e.g. canvas) or vinylof the collapsible camper shell 30 c may be folded up over the thirdbrake light 620, 720, 820 and secured by buckles 37 c (see FIG. 2A) inpreparation for collapsing the collapsible camper shell 30 c. Otherexamples of the collapsible camper shell 30 c include the collapsibletruck bed cover 10 of U.S. Pat. No. 9,365,097, the collapsible shell 12,112 of U.S. Pat. No. 9,744,836, and the truck bed accessory frame 10,210 of U.S. Pat. No. 9,956,857, the entire contents of each of which hisexpressly incorporated by reference herein.

In the examples of FIGS. 6A-6C and 7A-7C, the optical waveguide 640 orelectrical wire 740 may be of a length suitable for use with a campershell as described herein. For example, the optical waveguide 640 orelectrical wire may extend five feet or more from a first end to asecond end.

In the examples of FIGS. 7A-7C and 8A-8C, the electronic components ofthe auxiliary third brake light 720, 820, as well as those associatedwith the optical sensor 842, wireless transmitter 880, and transmitterbattery 890, need not be exposed to the elements and may be provided inan enclosure made of a rigid plastic (e.g. fiberglass), metal (e.g.aluminum), etc. If necessary, antenna elements may be protrude from suchenclosures for better signal transmission and reception.

The description of the various aspects of the auxiliary third brakelight was discussed in relation to a rigid and/or collapsible enclosurethat a truck owner would mount to the bed of his or her truck. Thevarious aspects of the auxiliary third brake light could also be usedfor cargo boxes that are retrofitted onto a truck frame. Moreover, thevarious aspects of the auxiliary third brake light are also applicableto any object that may be placed behind the OEM third brake light andthat would block the OEM third brake light. For example, if a large orplurality of objects (e.g., boxes, furniture, motorcycle, etc.) wereplaced in the truck bed so that the OEM third brake light were to beblocked by the object, then the retrofit versions of the auxiliary lightcould be used to provide a functional third brake light that a vehiclefollowing behind the truck could see when the truck were to stop.Accordingly, although the various aspects of the auxiliary third brakelight were discussed in relation to a camper shell, collapsible shelland the like, the various aspects of the auxiliary third brake light canbe installed on any object that might block a view of the OEM thirdbrake light.

The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation.Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devisevariations that are within the scope and spirit of the inventiondisclosed herein. Further, the various features of the embodimentsdisclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with eachother and are not intended to be limited to the specific combinationdescribed herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited bythe illustrated embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. An enclosure or frame disposable adjacent a bedof a truck, the enclosure or frame comprising: a body that fits over thebed of the truck and blocks an OEM third brake light located on a cab ofthe truck, the body having a front portion adjacent to the cab of thetruck and a rear portion adjacent to a tailgate of the truck; an opticalor electric signal line extending from the front portion to the rearportion of the body, the signal line arranged to transmit a signal inresponse to illumination of the OEM third brake light; and an auxiliarythird brake light disposed at the rear portion of the body and connectedto the signal line, the auxiliary third brake light configured toilluminate in response to receiving the signal transmitted by the signalline.